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I’m Bob Larson. Have plans to reintroduce Grizzly Bears to the North Cascades been called off or just delayed? That’s the question after work on the Environmental Impact Statement was put on hold before the Christmas break.

Representative Dan Newhouse has been outspoken about the negative impacts the plan could bring

DAN NEWHOUSE … “It’s very easy for someone who lives miles from the affected area to be in support of the reintroduction of a species, any species but in this case the Grizzly Bear, if you don’t have to deal with it on a daily basis. That’s why I think it makes sense, a lot of sense to me, that the federal government needs to listen to exactly those people that would be impacted, their livelihoods, their families, they’re the ones that should have the biggest say in this.”

Newhouse says the federal government really needs to listen before making further decisions …

DAN NEWHOUSE … “They need to evaluate the need for reintroducing Grizzly Bears and also all of the impacts it would have on our local communities, our local businesses, the folks living right there that potentially have bears literally in their backyard. That should be the loudest voices that the agencies hear.”

A decision on a preferred reintroduction of the Grizzlies was expected to be released sometime this year, but word came out recently that work on completing the EIS is suspended. No word yet on when or IF it will resume.

Plans include restoring the population to as many as 200 Grizzly Bears within a range of 25 to 100 years.